By Peter.
In a dramatic weekend operation, officials from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) raided a hidden warehouse in Apata, Jos, Plateau State, catching two men red-handed for scrubbing off old expiry dates and slapping on fake new ones.
The two-day sting (Friday to Saturday) uncovered crates of wines and spirits that had been chemically wiped clean of their original 2020 dates and re-labelled to read 2027—ready to hit the market and fool unsuspecting buyers during the festive season.
Leading the raid, NAFDAC’s North Central Zonal Director, Kenneth Azikiwe, told journalists at the scene: “We got a tip-off from a sharp-eyed consumer who noticed something off. That single report led us straight to this factory of fraud. These guys clean the bottles with chemicals, erase the real dates, print fake labels, then trickle the products out in small batches so nobody suspects.”
Arrested on the spot:
- Yusuf Hassan – the man who actually stuck the fake dates on the bottles
- Emma Nwobi – the warehouse owner who supplied the counterfeit labels
More suspects are still being hunted.
Speaking with reporters, Yusuf broke down and begged for mercy: “I’m just a small supplier—people kept begging me for Pure Heaven drink. I told Emma, he said he had some in stock, and I collected them. I swear I didn’t know the date had been changed from 2020 to 2027. I’ve never done this before. Please, have mercy.”
NAFDAC’s Plateau State Coordinator, Dr Obida Musa, didn’t mince words: “This is pure wickedness. These criminals are gambling with people’s lives for quick cash. Every right-thinking Nigerian should condemn this.”
What to do right now if you’re shopping:
- Always check the printed manufacturing and expiry dates on the bottle or can itself—ignore any sticker.
- If something looks suspicious, snap a picture and report instantly to the nearest NAFDAC office or call their hotlines.
The agency says this is just one battle in a nationwide war. Recent mega-operations in Idumota, Aba, and Onitsha markets alone cleared out fake and expired goods worth over ₦1 trillion.
Bottom line: Stay sharp this Christmas—your health is in your hands.
